A Tale of Two Toasters
by Dancing Darkness
Summary: Sarah Jane wasn't expecting a phone call nor was she expecting to be enlisted as an emergency babysitter. But that's the Doctor for you! How will she cope with a two year old Time Lord and his preoccupation with her toaster? Part 2 in 'Unexpected' series


Hello all! I'm back again! I'm glad a lot of you liked the end of 'Rattle in the Darkness' and even happier at the positive response to the first part of this series, 'Birth'.

This little ficlet was inspired by a good friend of mine and took me quite some time to write. I was shocked to find it had reached 19 pages! 19!

Anywho, the premise of this is pretty simple and needs no explaining! Hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it, I actually began laughing/cackling out loud. XD!

**For those who don't know this is the 2nd part/instalment in my series called 'Unexpected' - if you haven't read the first part I recommend you do! It's called 'Birth!'**

Remember to review but most of all to enjoy!

Allons-y!

---

**A Tale of Two Toasters****  
**

It all started on an ordinary Thursday. In fact it was so ordinary that the weather was bland. Colourless clouds rolled overhead and the occasional hint of blue would bleed through, spilling sunlight onto the black tarmac and routinely lined houses. The occasional bird sped by and the ever-so-often car grumbled past but, other than that, nothing changed. Not in the slightest.

In the large house at the end of Bannerman Road, at number eleven to be exact, the same ordinary day persisted. She'd got up at seven that morning to see Luke to school. He was staying at Clyde's that night, his first real sleepover, so she'd wanted to be sure he'd have everything he needed. She'd dropped Luke and Maria off and that had been it. She'd settled for having a quiet time of work until Luke returned the next day. A day nestled in front of her computer, Mr Smith, in the attic. A day working away peacefully on some articles that were due in the next few days. But the best laid plans of mice and men seldom turn out as wished.

It was around midday and she'd just settled for a cup of tea. The first warning should have been that the ordinary weather seemed to be on the way out, shifting away to the north. The second should've have been that things were entirely too quiet. The third, undisputedly, was the ringing of her home phone. This, in itself, wasn't especially strange. That was left to the nature of the call.

She moved swiftly down the stairs, being careful not to spill her tea, with thoughts of making lunch filling her head. Sandwiches or salad? Ah, life's truly difficult questions. She picked the cordless phone up absentmindedly, pressing it to her ear without thinking. "Hello, Sarah Jane speaking," she said as she took a sip of tea.

"Ah! Excellent!" a voice on the other end exclaimed, "got the right number! Can never tell with these things, analogue is so unreliable."

She very nearly spat out her tea as she realised who was calling, carefully she set it down on the kitchen counter. "Doctor?" she asked slowly.

"That's me, yes," he beamed in reply. "Never really done a phone conversation before."

"Of course you have," Sarah Jane replied, rolling her eyes and moving to lean on the counter. "I've seen you call people thousands of times."

"But never through an actual home phone," he argued, "whole new experience for me! I like new experiences."

"I'd noticed," she said wryly, the man would never change. She reached for her cup.

"I wouldn't pick that up just yet," the Doctor suddenly said.

She froze, hand a few inches away from the tea. "How did you know that?" she asked incredulously.

"Well you like tea and you like drinking tea with your lunch," he shrugged.

Well at least he was logical, "why did you say that anyway," she asked, moving to pick of the cup anyway.

"Well, I'm not sure how you'll react. Never can be too sure, after all. I suppose I could always just show you but that might be rude and, while I may be rude and not ginger, I'm not that rude," he babbled before pausing to take a deep breath.

"Just spit it out," she smiled, sipping the tea.

"I thought I told you to put that down?"

"You did." She sipped it again, "come on. Out with it."

"Humans and their orders. Sometimes I think you get a kick out of it," he grumbled. "Anyway, the thing is I need a favour," he said this tightly, not wanting to admit that he needed help.

"What sort of favour?" she asked slowly.

"I just want you to look after something for me," he replied quickly.

"Is it something dangerous? Is there someone after it? I can't have that sort of thing in the house with Luke-"

"It's nothing like that," he assured her warmly, in that voice where you couldn't help but believe him. "It's just I'm going away for the night and I need the something taken care of is all."

"You just need it watched? Why?" she had put her tea back down, maybe it was for the best.

"Can't say over the phone," was the short reply.

"Ah, I see. When are you bringing it over?" she paced slowly, something she always did while thinking.

"Is that a yes?" he asked and she could hear the sly smile.

"Of course it is. You knew I wouldn't say no," she told him exasperatedly.

"Privilege of being a time traveller," he chuckled. "Is now ok?"

"Right now?" That was a bit of a shock.

"Well, I need to go reeeaaally soon," he whined.

"Fine," she exclaimed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Thanks!" She could hear the grin. "I'll just park out back. Bye!" There was the click of disconnection and she paused for a shocked second. She literally dropped the phone at the familiar grinding sound, it was the beautiful sound of the universe. She hurried to the back door and pulled it wide open to watch as the TARDIS lurched into existence in her garden. Thankfully it was out of sight of the neighbours.

The doors of the police box creaked slightly as they opened and there he stood. He hadn't changed of course. Well not since she'd last seen him at least. His hair was in messy brown tufts. He wore a pinstripe brown suit, the long brown overcoat was probably tossed over a branch of coral in the TARDIS. He still looked a bit too thin and tall. He had his hands in his pockets and the familiar friendly grin on his face. "Hello, Sarah Jane," he beamed, bounding over to her in two long strides. He held out his arms to hug her.

She accepted the hug of course, welcomed his open arms. "Here you are again," she replied, as she pulled away, "appearing out of the blue again."

"Well, I do my best," he spoke in good humour. "How've you been?"

"I do alright I guess. I'm a mother now," she told him.

He raised his eyebrows, "really? Well I don't want to intrude-"

"His name is Luke and he's fourteen and at school, don't worry," she laughed at the surprised look on his face.

"Oh, ok. Wow. Fourteen?" he was genuinely interested. That was what was nice about the Doctor; he cared about ordinary lives and days. For him they were the great adventure he could never have.

"Yes," she explained, "I adopted him a few months ago. Less than stellar situations I assure you but I wouldn't trade him for the world. Would you like some tea?" She suddenly remembered her manners.

"Oh! That would be nice but no, I'm sort of in a hurry," he replied, as if suddenly remembering his entire reason for being there as she remembered her manners.

"Where are you going?" She sometimes hated being ever-curious.

"Oh, to hospital," he explained grandly.

"Hospital? Why?" That was awfully dangerous for him.

"Well I'm going to admit myself for stomach pains, severe of course, to stay overnight. There's these plasma coils building up around the hospital, you see, and I'm wondering if something's going on inside," he scratched the back of his neck in the way he did when he was thinking.

"Still investigating," she smiled.

"Oh, always," he agreed with a laugh.

"So, what was it you needed me to take care of?" she asked after a second of comfortable silence.

"Oh! Yes!" He turned to look back at the TARDIS and then at her, muttering something she couldn't' quite hear. "You see I wouldn't usually ask but I can't really leave him on his own. He won't be any trouble! Well he says he won't and I don't think he's learned to lie yet. Well there's that and I'm not sure he knows what 'trouble' entails..." the Doctor trailed off thoughtfully.

"'He'?" Sarah Jane asked quietly.

"Yes, wonder why he's being so shy?" the Doctor continued, turning back to the TARDIS. "Come on out," he called. "There's nothing to be scared of. This is Sarah Jane, I told you about her. Remember?" Nothing happened. "I swear," the Doctor grumbled, "I'm sure I wasn't this shy. Well I wasn't left with others this young either. Well, needs must."

She didn't really understand what he was on about so she settled for watching him stride back to the TARDIS and open the doors again. He disappeared inside, leaving the door open behind him slightly. She could hear quiet murmuring and then he returned. It was what he was carrying that made her stare. She never would have guessed. Not in a thousand years. In his arms there was a toddler, young and dressed in a pair of brown trousers and a light blue shirt. He was sitting comfortably in the Doctor's arms, one hand clutching at the shoulder of his suit. He had clear brown eyes and tufty dark hair that offset a smattering of freckles across his nose. He was, in a word, adorable.

"See?" the Doctor said to the child as he approached, "This is Sarah Jane. I told you about her the other day."

The child studied her closely, squinting. "Is she the one with the metal dog?" he asked in a high, young boy's tone.

"That's her. The dog is called K9, one of the best companions I've had I dare say," he beamed at the boy.

Sarah Jane at this moment managed to recover her voice. "Picking up children now?" she asked with a slow smile and shaky voice.

The Doctor laughed, "Only if they're mine," he replied easily. Her eyes could have fallen out of her head. "Sarah Jane I would like you to meet John Smith, John this is Sarah Jane," he said grandly.

"You already told me that, dad," John Smith replied, confused and a little shy.

"So I did, so I did," the Doctor mused, looking slightly to the side comically.

"He's yours?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah," the Doctor muttered, drawing out the vowels. "It's a bit complicated but here he is."

"You named him after your false name? Like a 'junior'?"

"Good a name as any!" he retorted, looking mock-offended. "Maybe not a 'junior'. Never did like that tradition..." He suddenly snapped his eyes back up to her. "Like I said I only need you to take John for a little while. He'll be next to no trouble! Isn't that right?" John nodded emphatically.

"Ok," she replied slowly, doing her best to take it in. "He's a Time Lord I take it? Two hearts?"

"Yes but don't worry about it. He's also lightly telepathic, if he starts reading you tell him to stop. He can't help it at this age," the Doctor told her as he shifted John to his other arm.

"How old is he?" Sarah Jane asked as she moved closer.

"Just past two, I think," the Doctor replied.

"Two? He's two and already talking in full complex sentences?" She was now beyond incredulous.

"Please," the Doctor snorted dismissively. "He's already running – family tradition don't you know – and he was using complete sentences ages ago. He's not as slow as you humans!" Even baby John managed to look offended. "Do you mind taking him?"

Gently she reached out and took the toddler, he was light and thin, like his father. He looked at and smiled that same goofy grin. In seconds any doubt she'd had was gone. "What does he need?"

"Well he eats the same as you, no worries about that. He doesn't sleep the same though. He should manage an hour tonight," the Doctor replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. "But don't worry. Just let him read something and he'll be quiet as a mouse."

"Alright." She was still a bit daunted by the whole affair.

The Doctor grinned brightly at her, "thank you, Sarah Jane," he beamed. "John," he said, turning to his son, "be good, I won't be long okay?"

John nodded and Sarah Jane was amazed that he wasn't putting up much of a fuss; most toddlers did when their parents left them somewhere strange.

"Good man," the Doctor told him and, in the most affectionate gestured Sarah Jane had ever seen from him, leaned forward and kissed his son on the forehead and ruffled his hair. He turned to go back to the TARDIS and paused, "I forgot! John, you've never seen this bit have you?"

John shook his head eagerly.

"You're gonna love it!" With that he bounded inside the TARDIS and soon the ship began to vanish from view, John laughing the entire time.

---

It was as the Doctor said, Sarah Jane discovered. John was an extraordinarily good toddler. He didn't shout, he didn't cry. He was curious to fault, like his father, however. The moment she'd taken him up to the attic he'd wandered around, touching everything with his small hands, examining alien artefacts closely with intelligent eyes. Under her watchful gaze of course. He'd also picked up his father's awful habit of licking things to determine their substance. At least he was sensible with that.

She made them a light lunch sandwiches which he consumed as easily as he would inhale air. Dinner was a very similar affair. The most extraordinary moment came when she left him alone in the kitchen to find that, in her absence of five minutes, he'd disassembled the toaster. He'd unplugged it of course, he informed her. He just wanted to see how it worked. Why it heated wire and didn't use sonic waves to toast bread. It was hard to convince him to reassemble it but they got there in the end.

He also had endless questions about the earth and humans, she was guessing she was his first non-Time Lord contact. The questions were constant but she found she didn't mind. He was, after all, no different to Luke in his first few days.

It was very strange late that evening when, as they sat in the attic and she worked on her article, he asked if he could read Luke's English homework, which was sitting next to her. "My dad says I have to learn to speak good English," he'd told her proudly.

"Oh really?" she'd asked, "I thought the TARDIS translates everything for you?" She'd learned not to patronise him, he was lightyears ahead of other children his age. His mental maturity was around six or more, despite the fact he was only two.

"Yes but dad says that sometimes it breaks. So I have to learn anyways," the toddler told her seriously, before grinning down at the work sheet before him.

"Oh? What do you speak with him then?" she replied innocently as she typed away. She was glad she was a woman and able to multi-task at moments like these.

"Gallifreyan of course," John answered instantly. "I learned it through the cocoon from my dad after all. It makes him sad sometimes. He never says. But his eyes are sad. Like when I ask about mum." The child didn't seem at all bothered by this. Or perhaps, like his father, he was exceedingly good at hiding it.

"Your mother?" she asked, looking over.

John didn't look up from the book he was intently studying, "I've never met her," he said simply. "She was gone before I was born."

This was incredibly odd, being gone _before_ he was born, but Sarah Jane thought it best not to ask. "So you travel with your dad a lot?" She was desperately searching for another topic.

"All the time," John replied, excitedly, finally looking up. "This is the first time I've been with someone else but dad said it was important." The boy chewed his lip thoughtfully, "I liked Patreval Nine the best," he concluded.

"Oh, the one with singing, moving lakes?" she smiled as she remembered.

"Yeah! With water that glows like sliver!"

"Silver, John," she laughed. He was still a child and a child got words all mixed up.

"What?" John looked confused.

"It's called silver, not sliver," she smiled down at him.

"Oh, I see," he nodded seriously. "You're smart. Dad said so. For a human anyway." This was the reason she could be right in his mind clearly.

That was a backhanded compliment, but she smiled knowing the Doctor would never mean it to offend. "Oh did he?"

"Yeah. You're in some of the best stories," John told her, abandoning the book in favour of her attention.

"He tells you stories about me?" She felt oddly touched by that, pleased.

"He tells me about everything, about the stars and the night and people and everything! Dad tells the best stories," John beamed up at her.

"Yes," she replied wistfully, remembering days long gone, "he does, doesn't he?"

The evening passed in a very similar way with John recounting, to the best of his ability, all the stories his father had ever told him. He was still young and couldn't remember everything, in the same way a six year old can't, but she could recognise some familiar tales. Nothing too terrifying though. There were Daleks there but there was always a mighty hero in the darkness. Imagine that? The creatures of fear and terror reduced to a mere child's bedtime story. Only the Doctor would do that.

As the Doctor promised John was as good as gold. Occasionally she woke up in the night to hear the gentle turning of page but no more. He, like his father, had learned to 'tolerate' the humans it seemed. In the morning his English was much improved, evidence of a fast learning capability. As John ate breakfast Sarah Jane called Luke to check he was on his way to school. She wondered what on earth the Doctor was going to do about that. Surely John would need to integrate? Well the Doctor hadn't but even so he had still been schooled at the Academy on Gallifrey. There was no Academy anymore though and John had some very unique physiology which might make it hard to blend in...Well, maybe it was early days yet.

It was midday and the Doctor still hadn't turned up, now she was truly worried. He had said he would be here today, maybe he was being held up. When she turned on the news and saw the hospital had in fact vanished off the face of the earth she just rolled her eyes. Looked like he was still busy.

John had examined the news and asked incessant questions about the event. He soon discovered that, unlike his dad, Sarah Jane did not know nearly everything and could not answer his questions. He'd just have to ask his dad later. The whole experience was rather unsatisfactory really.

------

Things became interesting when, at four exactly, Luke returned home with Clyde and Maria in tow. They bustled through laughing and talking loudly, Luke calling a greeting. They came to an abrupt stop when they entered the kitchen when they found a two year old toddler sitting on the kitchen table amidst a mess of wires, metal and screws looking completely unconcerned. The boy had dark hair and an extreme look of concentration as he examined what Luke was sure had once been the toaster. He suddenly looked up and dark brown eyes examined them, "Hello," he greeted them brightly.

"Hi," Maria replied slowly. She edged forward, "who are you then? Are you lost?" she continued automatically falling into baby talk.

Dark eyebrows dropped and the toddler frowned, they were patronising him. "Of course I'm not," he told her grumpily.

Maria stepped back, that was a bit strange. "Luke, why's there a baby on your kitchen table?" Clyde asked, leaning forward to look closer.

"Because I'm looking after him," said a voice from behind them and they spun to see Sarah Jane.

"Mum," Luke exclaimed happily.

"Now if you don't mind I'd like to get through," she smiled at them and they hastily parted. She strode up to the toddler and looked at the table in dismay. "John, why have you taken apart the toaster again? We talked about this yesterday." She sighed.

"I wanted to make it work better," John complained as she picked him up.

"Luke," she called over her shoulder, "do you think you could reassemble it for me?" She set the toddler down on the counter.

"Of course, mum," Luke replied, moving to do so.

"Clyde, Maria, would you like anything to drink?" Sarah Jane asked as she began to brew tea.

"No, thank you," Maria replied after a moment. Clyde simply shook his head. "Sarah Jane? Who is that?" she asked after a silence.

"This is John Smith," she replied grandly. "And his good-for-nothing father left him with me. He had to take care of something," she chuckled.

John laughed too, his dad was pretty silly at times.

"I didn't know you knew anyone with kids. He's adorable," she said, smiling at John who grinned back.

"Neither did I until yesterday," Sarah Jane snorted, "just turns up out of the blue, as always."

"Who turned up?" Luke asked, not looking up from the nearly reconstructed toaster.

"You remember I used to tell you about the times I travelled in time and space?" she replied, pouring hot water into a mug. John watched fascinated, there was just something fascinating about tea to him. Who knew that such a thing could come out of dried, ground leaves?

They all nodded eagerly, they loved Sarah Jane's tales of far off worlds and intergalactic battles. They crowded round the kitchen table as she sat down to listen. She'd moved John to sit in her lap; his eyes were wide as listened too. "Was that with the Doctor?" Clyde asked with a grin.

"That's him," Sarah Jane smiled, "the most annoying alien in the universe I'd say. But also the most kind, friendly and intelligent. Oh, the things he showed me." She was lost for a moment back to times when she was so much younger and the world was so much smaller. "Well," she continued at last, "I was just making lunch when he phones me, simple as you please."

"Yesterday? He phoned the house?" Maria asked curiously. "Does he do that often?"

"Oh no," Sarah Jane laughed, "He's never phoned at all. He told me it was his first time using a telephone, or more likely his first time using one to phone me. He was quite excited."

"What did he want?" Luke asked as he put the casing back on the completed toaster.

"He was going to investigate a hospital as I understand it, something about strange storms," Sarah Jane nodded, sipping her tea.

"Is that the one that vanished on the news? They say that went to the moon!"

"I imagine so, sounds like him," Sarah Jane put the tea down. "Well, he phoned and asked me, as he was going to be away, could I take care of something for him. Something important that he couldn't leave alone." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What was that?" The three were all leaning very close now, almost conspiritually.

"His son," she laughed.

They boggled and looked down at the toddler. "That explains the higher intelligence and comprehension levels," Luke mused, not too phased.

"He's an alien?" Clyde asked, completely phased. "He looks like a human."

"You look like a Time Lord," John replied with a gap toothed grin.

"That is so weird," Maria chuckled, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "When is the Doctor coming back for him?"

As she spoke there was an odd grinding whoosh sound that they'd never heard before coming from the garden. Sarah Jane smiled, the man had brilliant timing. They turned to look and, through the window, they could just about see a large blue box parked in the back garden. It was also, Sarah Jane noticed, parked on her flowerbeds. The children all stared at it for a very long time.

They jumped at a sudden rapping on the back door. Sarah Jane laughed and moved to open it. Through it strode a very tall man in brown pinstripe suit, light blue pinstripes of course, followed by a smaller woman in a red leather jacket. The woman looked surprised to see everyone. The man merely smiled around happily. They immediately noticed the familiar messy brown hair, freckles and kind, dark eyes that John had too. "Afternoon, Sarah Jane," he beamed.

"Doctor," she greeted. "Who's your friend?" she asked looking at the woman. Of course she already knew and there would have been a time when she was jealous but not anymore. She had a life of her own now, a son of her own. The Doctor's life was also different and, well, he needed someone in it. At least to stop him doing anything stupid. John was only two and he was more likely to incite silliness than stop it if he was anything like his father at all.

"Oh, this is Martha, Martha Jones," the Doctor introduced brightly. "She saved my life in the hospital! Nasty creatures, plasmavores. Martha, this is Sarah Jane. A friend of mine." He moved aside so they could shake hands.

"Hello," she smiled. Sarah Jane could see spark about this one, fire. She'd do well.

"And who's this?" the Doctor asked looking around.

"Ah," she replied with a smile, "this is my adopted son Luke, I told you about him, and his friends Maria and Clyde." She pointed them all out but they were still gaping. "Everyone, this is the Doctor."

"Hello," he greeted with a friendly wave.

"You're an alien?" Clyde managed.

Maria rolled her eyes.

"Really?" the Doctor asked in mock shock gazing at his hands as if they were large and very scary spiders, "I hadn't noticed!" He stared back for a moment before grinning at Clyde warmly. "You told them?" he asked Sarah Jane.

"They sort of found out by other means," she replied. "And you do make very good bed time stories."

He laughed, "Do I now? Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked. Hello, trouble," he almost bellowed scooping up a giggling John and swinging him in the air slightly. "Did you miss me?"

"Well I had books to read," the boy laughed. "Did you have fun?" He hugged close to the Doctor and, when he did so, Sarah Jane could see how alike father and son were.

"Weeell," the Doctor mused, "there was a whole platoon of Judoon, trying to kill me!"

"Really? The space-police people?" John asked, eyes huge.

"That's them, they'd arrested the hospital if you can believe it," the Doctor said in only slightly over exaggerated tones. "Judoon platoon upon the Moon, imagine it!" He shifted John to his other arm.

"Who's that?" John asked, pointing at Martha.

"Don't be rude," the Doctor exclaimed in mock horror, "that's my job. This is Martha Jones; she'll be travelling with us awhile. She saved my life!" The Doctor puffed up his chest, all proud for some reason.

"Really?" John turned wide brown eyes to Martha, "thank you," he said slightly shyly.

"Hi there," she smiled after a moment, overcoming the shock.

"Sorry we're a bit later than planned, I was just showing Martha some things to say thank you," the Doctor said over John's head to Sarah Jane. "I hope he wasn't too bad."

"No, he's a joy actually," Sarah Jane replied, "apart from the never ending questions. Almost as much trouble as you. He did also take apart the toaster. Twice." She rolled her eyes and sipped her tea.

"What for?" the Doctor asked, looking at his son but only to find that the toddler had gone to sleep, snuggled into his jacket. "Well there goes the hour of the day," the Doctor sighed. "Now he'll be up all night. Ah well."

There was a sudden beeping and the Doctor swivelled his wrist to look at a small, blue plastic child's watch. Except it seemed to have more dials. And was in binary coding. He glanced at it and gasped. "Is that the time? Not to mention the astrological verification!" He straightened and turned to Sarah Jane once more. "I'm sorry to dash but we have to go, time to be moving on."

Sarah Jane nodded, watching as he was about to step out of her life once more. The kids filled behind them as they strode into the garden and towards the police box. Martha went inside first, gently taking John from the Doctor to place him in the coral cot by the seats at the back. The Doctor turned back of course. "Thank you again, Sarah Jane. I know this was very sudden," he said sincerely.

"I'm just glad to see you're not alone," she replied with a smile. "You know, fatherhood suits you." She laughed.

He simply gazed back, an unreadable look in his eyes. He nodded and turned to go inside.

"Doctor!" she called and he paused, looking over his shoulder curiously. "Anytime you need someone to take him I'll be here. I know you, you'll try and do it all alone. You do have friends, Doctor, and, not to mention, your son is very cute. Don't be a stranger." She smiled wide and raised a hand to wave.

The smile that split his handsome face outshone the sun in beauty. "Thank you, Sarah Jane Smith, Defender of the Earth," he said, his love for her, the planet and everything in his tone. "Thanks for everything." That said he disappeared back into the TARDIS, his coat flapping behind him. The door clicked and locked.

"Luke, Clyde, Maria," Sarah Jane called softly.

They looked at her.

"You'll want to watch this bit, it's the best part," she told them with a wide smile as with a rushing breeze the blue box vanished, its light flashing brightly. Yes. It was nice to see that the Doctor was not alone.

----

When she'd first gone with the Doctor Martha would never have pegged him for a dad. Well not a current dad with a small child. He showed her Shakespeare and New New York with ease, a trip of thanks he said. He would have willingly given his life to save the whole hospital without a second thought. When he'd suddenly announced that he needed to go to a friend's to pick up his son she'd had the urge to ask if he was serious. Yet here he was, flying the TARDIS and chatting away to her but all the while keeping an eye on the child sleeping not four feet away.

Martha had to admit the boy was adorable and very, very clever. He chatted to her and listened to her stories. He was very interested in her ordinary life, like the Doctor, but didn't understand the difference between his dad 'the Doctor' and the concept of medical doctors. It took her awhile to explain that one to him.

This new side to the Doctor was interesting. There was the fun loving man that ran everywhere and then there was the caring father. Yet, judging by the personality of John there wasn't much difference between them. It wouldn't be long before John was running alongside them, laughing like a lunatic. Just like his irritating father.

Thinking of the Doctor Martha couldn't help but feel an ache in her heart. She had said she wasn't interested in him. She had told herself she wouldn't be interested in him. But it was very easy to say the words and much harder to obey them. The man was handsome, undeniably so, but also he was kind, considerate. In his own way. Everything you'd want out of a man. Yet under every action there was mention of the mysterious Rose, his previous companion and, she guessed, John's mother. She would never have a chance and at first that had hurt like nothing else. But the more time she spent with them the more she didn't care. It was fun, what they did. Seeing the universe was fun. Sometimes with John, now three, in tow and sometimes not.

Occasionally he would leave John with a friend, Sarah Jane, and give them some 'breathing space'. She understood that it was hard being a single parent but sometimes she wanted to smack him. Really hard. At the end of the day it was fun either way and, with John growing so fast, it looked to stay that way.

The Doctor may not even see her but she didn't care. She wouldn't trade this for the world. She grinned at John as he ran to her, holding a shell high above his head for her to see. He was wearing his first pair of converse, they looked just like his dad's and he'd demanded them. He also wore a miniature suit and, to all really, he was a smaller version of his father. Messy hair, freckles and all. He grinned triumphantly and gave her the shell as the Doctor ran to catch up.

She simply smiled as the Doctor explained that the shells were actually plants and perhaps carnivorous. She smiled as John babbled something to her, only half in English. She just smiled. Life was good.

----

What do you think? Originally I wasn't going to have Martha's perspective but it just sort of popped out...

Did you like it? Did you hate it? I love criticism and help so please review! Feed the attention machine!

Look out for Part 3! It's called 'Daycare' hehehehe!

Love you all!

- D


End file.
